Poster-supporting device



New. 22, 1932 J, DIXON 1,888,494

POSTER SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 17, 1931 ZSheecs-Sheet 1 Nov. 22,1932. J. w. DiXoN POSTER SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1'7. 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZZ/67W- Q Jb/Z/ ,l 1% Mi-mm Patented Nov. 22, 1932UNITED STATES ,JOHN W. DIXON, OF RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO U.

PATENT orrlce FINISHING & MFG.

S. CQ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF I LJQOIS POSTER-SUPPORTINGDEVICE Application filed September 17, 1931.

This invention has to do with postersupporting devices of the typedisclosed in Jones Patent No. 1,701,236.

p The purpose of the invention is to provide "certain hereinafterdescribed improvements in the device of the Jones patent.

A poster-supporting device constructed in accordance with the presentinvention is very inexpensive to manufacture, is easy to assemble with aposter, will hold the poster upright in a perfectly flat, smooth andtaut condition without danger of tearing the same, will not cast anyshadow on the poster when the latter is illuminated from behind, isquite light in weight, and will fit compactly within the poster when thelatter is rolled up and inserted in a mailing tube.

While the foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of thenature of the invention, other objects and advantages Wlll be apparentto those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of theconstruction, arrangement and purpose of the parts comprising theimproved device.

A preferred form of the invention, and several slightly modified formsthereof, are presented herein for the purpose of exemplification, but itwill of course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible ofembodiment in still other forms coming equally within the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 isa perspective rear view of the improved poster-supportingdevice, assembled with a flexible poster;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the upper edge of theposter, at the location of the supporting device, taken on the line 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar View through the lower edge of the poster, at thelocation of the supporting device, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

45 Fig. shows the component parts of the 1 device disconnected from eachother and grouped together in readiness for insertion in a tube with theposter; I i Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4E,

50 showing a modifiedform of the device;

Serial No. 583,287.

Fig. 6 is a similar view which shows another modified form; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view which shows still another modified form.

The device which forms the subject matter of the present invention isintended for use with a flexible poster made of paper, fabric or othersuitable material. Largequantities of such posters are used foradvertising and other display purposes. The posters are usually rolledup and shipped in mailing tubes, and the devices which are used tosupport the posters when unrolled are ordinarily inserted in the tubesalong with the posters. Since posters of this type are widelydistributed and go to all sorts of places, it is ab solutely necessarythat the supporting devices furnished for use with the same be not onlylight and compact, but so simple and foolproof that practically anyonewithout any experience at all can set one of them up properly in amoments time without spoiling the poster.

A poster of the type above referred to is shown in Fig. 1. As will beobserved, the poster consists of a flexible sheet 10 of rectan ular formwhich is provided along its upper and lower edges with sheet metalbinding strips 11 and 12. These strips are characterized by relativelywide front flanges 13, relatively narrow rear flanges 14, and in turnedflanges 15 on the rear flanges which clamp against folded marginalportions of the sheet 10, all as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. I

The improved poster-supporting device which is shown in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive is made entirely of ordinary round wire and consists of threeseparate but easily assembled parts 16, 17 and 18.

The wire 16 forms the upper part of the support and is bent andflattened at its upper end to provide a thin flat chisel-like extremity19. The end 19 is adapted to be forced into a narrow slit 20'which isformed in the upper edge strip 11 of the'poster between the back of thesheet 10 and the inturned clamping flange 15, the relatively wide frontflange 13 of such strip serving to guide the end 19 into the slit andprevent the end from puncis preferably made of slightly heavier gaugewire than the previously described part 16. When the upper end of thewire 17 is inserted in the coil 21 on the lower end of the wire 16, thetwo wires will be in substantial alignment with each other and willextend from the top of the slightly inclined poster downwardly andrearwardly to a point on. the supporting surface some distance to therear of the bottom of the poster.

The third part 18 of the device is a wire which is provided on its frontend with a downwardly bent and flattened chisel-like extremity 23, whichend is adapted to be in-- serted in the upwardly opening slit 24 in thelower edge strip 12 of the poster. From the end 23, the wire 18 extendsrearwardly into engagement with the lower end of the wire 17. The rearend of the wire 18 is wound into a. tight hollow-centered coil 25 whichprojects upwardly and forms a socket 26 for the reception of the lowerend of the wire 17. The wire 18 is characterized, between the front andrear ends of the latter, with two straight sections 27 and 28 which arenormally disposed at an angle to each other and are integrally connectedby a coil spring section 29. \Vhile the section 29 may consist of morethan one loop, a single loop will be found sufficient to produce thedesired spring action.

when the wires 16, 17 and 18 are connected together and assembled with aposter in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the spring loop 29 in the wire 18will yield resiliently to allow the adjoining sections 27 and 28 of thewire 18 to move substantially into alignment with each other, and theforce exerted through such sections on the other parts of the devicewill stretch the poster taut and hold it in a perfectly smooth and flatcondition. The rear end of the wire 18 will rest upon any suitablesupporting surface and hold the assemblage substantially upright.

The supporting device may be easily assembled with a poster in but amoments time by unrolling the poster and placing it face down on asurface; hooking the end 23 of the wire 18 into the slit 24 in the rearpart of the lower edge strip 12; inserting one end of the wire 17 intothe tube-like coil 25 on the wire 18 and inserting the other end of thewire 17 in the tube-like coil 21 on the wire 16; drawing the free end 19of the wire 16 downwardly against the resiliently yielding action of thespring section 29 into proximity to the upper edge strip 11; and thenforcing the end 19 into the slit 20 in the back of such strip.

It is impossible to assemble the device 1n any other than the right waybecause the parts cannotbe made to fit together in any other way. Byemploying edge strips 11 and 12 which have front portions which extendinwardly beyond the rear portions, the material of the poster isprevented from tearing at the locations of the Wires 16 and 18 and theflat-faced ends 19 and 23 of such wires are given arigid backing to bearagainst, thereby causing the. edge strips to be held firmly by the ends19 and 23 in the. plane of the poster, and. causing thev device to standout rigidly from the poster without pivoting relative to the same.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the poster-supporting deviceconsists of three wires 30, 31 and 32 which correspond respectively tothe wires 16, 17 and 18 in the previously described form. The wires 30and 31 are identical with the wires 16 and 17, but the wire 32 differssomewhat from the wire 18. The wire 32, instead of having a spring coilformation intermediate the ends, 33 and 34 thereof, is curved uniformlyfrom the end 33 to the end 34. When the device is assembled undertension, the curved wire 32 will assume a substantially straightposition.

In the modification shown in Fig- 6, the device is again composed ofthree wires- The upper wire 35 is the same as the wire 16 in the firstform of the invention. The intermediate wire 36, however, is provided onits lower end with a tightly wound helical coil 37 which. forms a socket38 for the reception of an upturned end 39 on the lower wire 40. Thespring formation in the lower wire 40 is shown as being a double reversebend 41, but it will of course be appreciated that any other suitablespring formation might be employed.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the lower wire 42 is identical withthe lower wire in the first form of the invention, but the upper wire 43is as long as the upper and intermediate wires 16 and 17 together andtakes the place of both. This arrangement is possible and even quitedesirable when the device is to be used with a poster which is greaterin width than in height, since the long wire 43 can then fit with theposter into a mailing tube without projecting from one end of thelatter.

The spring formation employed in the lowor wire may of course varyconsiderably in design. If desired, the spring formation, instead ofbeing located in the lower wire, may be placed in the upper wire, butits location in the lower wire has been found to give very good resultsand is therefore recommended.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting a flexible poster, consisting of a pluralityof members which are adapted to be connected with each other and withthe upper and lower edges of the poster, said members being made ofordinary wire of uniform cross section, and the end of one of the wiremembers being wound into a straight helical coil of substantially thesame inside diameter as the wire to form a socket for the reception ofthe end of other member.

2. In combination, a flexible poster provided with sheet metaledge-clamping strips, and a knock-down supporting device for the posterprovided with thin flat end portions for coaction with the strips, saidstrips lapping the front of the poster more than the back, and said endport-ions being inserted in grooves in the strips at the back of theposter.

3. The combination with a flexible poster having edge strips at the topand bottom thereof, of a support for the same consisting of a memberwhich extends downwardly and rearwardly from the top strip, anothermen1- ber which extends rearwardly from the bottom strip, a fixedangular connection between the rear ends of said members, and a springincorporated in one of said members for exerting a separating force onthe edge strips, said members being made of round wire, and saidconnection therebetween consisting of a helical coil on the rear end ofone in which the rear end of the other is telescoped.

4. The combination with a flexible poster having edge strips at the topand bottom thereof, of a support for the same consisting of a memberwhich extends downwardly and rearwardly from the top strip, anothermember which extends rearwardly from the bottom strip, a fixed angularconnection between the rear ends of said members, and a spring formationlocalized in one of said members intermediate the ends thereof forexerting a separating force on the edge strips, said members being madeof wire, and said formation being an offset section of the wire.

5. The combination with a flexible poster having edge strips at the topand bottom thereof, of a support for the same consisting of a memberwhich extends downwardly and rearwardly from the top strip, anothermemher which extends rearwardly from the bo tom strip, a fixed angularconnection between the rear ends of said members, and a spring loop inthe lower member intermediate the ends thereof for exerting a separatingforce on the edge strips.

6. A flexible poster for application to a support having stretching tipsat its upper and lower edges, which poster is characterized by sheetmetal strips of generally U- shaped cross section which engage over theupper and lower edges of the poster and extend farther inwardly at thefront face of the poster than at the rear at the locations where thestretching tips of the support are adapted to be attached, whereby toprovide reinforcements for the poster at such locations to preventpuncturing of the latter.

7 A flexible poster for application to a support having thin flatattaching portions, which poster is characterized by sheet metal stripsof generally U-shaped cross section which engage over the upper andlower edges of the poster and extend farther inwardly at the front faceof the poster than at the rear, said strips being turned back in at theback of the poster, thereby providing round-edged grooves at the back ofthe poster for the reception of the attaching portions of the support.

8. In combination, a flexible poster provided with sheet metaledge-clamping strips, and a knock-down supporting device for the posterprovided with thin flat end portions for wedged insertion between theback of the poster and the inner edges of the strips, said stripslapping in front of the poster more than the back to reinforce theposter at the locations of said end portions.

9. The combination with a flexible poster having edge strips at the topand bottom thereof, of a support for the same consisting of a memberwhich extends downwardly and rearwardly from the top strip, anothermember which extends rearwardly from the bottom strip, a. fixed angularconnection between the rear ends of said members, one of said membersbeing a spring and serving when flexed to exerta separating force on theedge strips, said second mentioned member terminating at its rear end ina portion which forms the bottom of the rear part of the support and atthe same time provides a mounting for the first mentioned memberthereabove.

10. A device for supporting a flexible poster, consisting of a pluralityof members which are adapted to connect with each other and with theupper and lower edges of the poster, one of said members being composedof two sections of wire which are adapted to be arranged insubstantially straight end-to-end relation, and one end of one of saidwire sections being wound into a straight tight opencentered helicalcoil of rigid formation, which coil constitutes a supporting socket forthe adjacent end of the other wire section.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN W. DIXON.

